This is Hogwarts?
by LaBelleRebel
Summary: A story about two American witches who go to Hogwarts. Definitely some romance...though I won't give away who/who yet. Please R + R. Thanks!
1. Chapter One

"Let's ask him," Emma decided.  
"Okay," Betsy said. "Excuse me, sir, but how do you get onto platform 9 ¾?"  
The man yelled at them, "Grrrrr." His face turned a shade of purple. Only some of his words were understandable. "My nephew…..wizard…..summer!" Emma and Betsy turned around so he wouldn't see them giggling.  
A boy about their age with really messy hair and glasses turned back from where he was, close to the barrier, and said, "Sorry about my Uncle Vernon. He hates me, and he hates people like me."  
"Like a witch or a wizard?" Emma asked. The boy nodded his head.  
"So how do you get onto platform 9 ¾?" Betsy asked.  
"You walk right through the barrier," the boy replied. Emma and Betsy looked at each other and raised their eyebrows, not believing him.  
"Why don't you go first," Emma suggested.  
The boy shrugged his shoulders, turned away from them, walked right into the barrier and disappeared. "He was telling the truth!" Betsy exclaimed. Both girls broke into a run, excited at the thought of going through the barrier. Suddenly they were outside a train with lots of people crowded around it. They got on the train, dragging their overfilled trunks. They had a compartment completely to themselves. Not for long though.  
"Hey chicks," a boy who walked into their compartment said, "I'm Draco."  
Betsy checked him out. He had chiseled features, spiked blond hair, and icy blue eyes. and "Peep, peep," she said. Even though Draco was pretty darn hot, she couldn't resist the opportunity to make fun of a chauvinist male.  
"Come on Crabbe, Goyle, let's not waste our time here," Draco said snootily, and left.The minute he closed the door, Emma and Betsy burst out laughing. "Chicks……" Betsy said, gasping between bursts of laughter.  
"Hey chicks, I'm a loser," Emma imitated.  
"I hope all wizard boys aren't like this!" Betsy said  
"I know! His friends were soooooooooooooo fat!" Emma replied. "Actually, the boy at the train station wasn't too bad."  
"His hair was really messy! You'd think he didn't know what a brush is! Although Heath Ledger has messy--"  
"Shhhhhhh! He's coming!" Emma whispered. Betsy turned around. The boy they met in the train station was there, accompanied by a girl and a boy with bright red hair.  
The boy with the red hair studied them. "Who're you?" he asked.  
"I'm Emma, and this is Betsy," Emma said.  
"I'm Ron Weasley, and this is Hermione Granger and Harry Potter," said the boy, and paused, as if he were waiting for something. "Harry's famous for defeating You-Know-Who."  
"Oh, yeah, you're that little baby who killed Voldemort, right?" Betsy asked. "We did a unit on the Dark Times in History of Magic last year."  
"Well, I didn't really kill him," Harry said.  
"What year are you?" Ron asked.  
"We're both fifth years," Emma replied.  
"I've never seen you at Hogwarts before," Hermione said.  
"We're coming to Hogwarts for a year as exchange students from Catback Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry ," Betsy said.  
"Neat!" Ron said, "Is Catback in America?"  
"Yeah," Emma said. "We came to England on an airplane." She rolled her eyes. "Our parents wouldn't let us fly over the Atlantic Ocean."  
Hermione smiled. "Well it is rather large."   
"Anyway, we came in here looking for a boy named Malfoy," Harry said, "He has two monkeys named Crabbe and Goyle."  
"Oh, you must mean our friend Draco," Emma said, and the two girls burst out laughing.  
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked, looking bewildered.  
"He called us chicks,' Betsy answered, laughing.  
"What did you say?" Harry asked.  
"I peeped at him!" Betsy giggled. "He wasn't very nice."  
"Well he won't like you now," Hermione said. "Join the club."  
"How old are you guys?" Emma asked.  
"Fifteen," Hermione answered.  
"We are too! I hope we're in the same dorm!" Betsy said.  
"You'll have to get sorted. The sorting hat decides what house you'll be in. There's Gryffindor – we're in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw," Ron saw the confused looks on the girls' faces and said, "Never mind, you'll see soon enough."   
Just then the train pulled in next to a lake. Across the lake, the castle loomed overhead, the lights reflecting in the dark on the lake. "This is Hogwarts?" Betsy said breathlessly. "Wow." The girls dragged their trunks off the train, and found a line of carriages waiting to take students to the castle. The carriages were round, and had large wheels that made them quite high off the ground. "Emma, could you help me with this?" Betsy asked, trying very unsuccessfully to lift her trunk into the carriage. A boy with red hair appeared as if by magic (but not really) beside her.  
"Can I help you?" the boy asked, and grinned. Betsy's heart melted.  
"Yes, please," Betsy said. The boy lifted the trunk into the carriage without much effort.  
"See you at Hogwarts," he said, and left as suddenly as he had came.  
"You damsel in distress," accused Emma. "You could have just used a charm. Windgardium Leviosa." Emma's trunk rose, and Emma directed it into the carriage with her wand.  
Betsy blushed. "I didn't even think of that," she said, and followed Emma into the carriage. "Emma, he was so sweet!"  
The carriage started forward with a jolt. "You're so boy crazy," Emma rolled her eyes.  
"You know I can't help it," Betsy retorted.   
"Yeah, I know," Emma said admitted. "These carriages are really cute. Everything here is so different than at Catback. It must be cuz it's older or something..."  
"What was Ron trying to tell us about those 'houses'?" Betsy asked.  
"I have no idea," Emma replied. "Maybe there are different dorms called houses."  
"He said something about 'Griffin Dorm,' so that would make sense...but what was he saying about a raven's claw?"  
"I dunno," Emma said, and the carriage stopped with a jolt. "I guess we're gonna find out soon." The girls got out of their carriage and pulled their trunks out after them.  
A strict looking woman with a tight gray bun met them. "Are you Emma Anderson and Betsy Styles?" she asked. The girls nodded. "Welcome to Hogwarts." She gave them a once over. "You're not wearing your robes," she said.  
"We have to wear robes?" Betsy exclaimed.  
"Yes, all the students do," Professor McGonagal said, and conjured some. "Put these on and then go quickly to the Great Hall to be Sorted."  
"I'll change that!" Betsy whispered to Emma. They changed their clothes in a bathroom and went to the Great Hall. As they walked in, the last person got sorted into Hufflepuff, and all the Hufflepuffs burst out cheering.  
"These are our last students to get sorted this year," Professor Dumbledore said. "They're exchange students from Catback Academy in America, in the fifth year. They're a bit late because they weren't wearing robes," He tried to give them a stern look, but his twinkling eyes gave him away. "All right, Emma Anderson, why don't you get sorted first?" Emma sat down in the chair and pulled the hat onto her head.   
That must be the sorting hat, thought Betsy. After about half a minute, the hat shouted "Gryffindor!" What? The hat was talking? This was too weird. But before she had time to think, Dumbledore had called her up. She sat down and put the hat on her head.   
Oh, she thought, I hope it puts me in the same house as Emma!  
"What house?" the hat asked her. "Hmmmmmm…Ravenclaw? Perhaps...there is some real intelligence...no, you have no common sense! Not Slytherin, much too innocent and sweet. So, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor?"  
Griffin Dorm, please Griffin Dorm, Betsy thought.  
"Oh all right, you've got courage, and by the way, it's GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.  
The Gryffindor table burst out in cheers. Betsy went to sit with Emma, who was sitting with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Everyone sang the Hogwarts song, and Emma and Betsy joined in, harmonizing in thirds to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. They finished along with the majority of the students, and a minute later, there were only two base voices left singing, coming from somewhere down the Gryffindor table. Betsy leaned forward and looked down the Gryffindor table and saw that the guy who had helped her with her trunk was singing. He has a nice voice, she thought. Across the table from him was the other person singing, and he looked exactly like the guy. There were two of him! A second later, she thought, that was stupid, he's a twin. They finished singing, and Professor Dumbledore waved his wand, and made food appear on the table, and Betsy momentarily forgot the guy. 


	2. Chapter Two

The next day Betsy and Emma woke up on time, 30 minutes before breakfast. They took   
quick showers and then got dressed.  
  
"I don't care what Professor McGonagal says! I am not going to wear an ugly black   
robe! For one thing, I hate the color black, and for another, those robes are so loose, they don't   
flatter my figure!" Betsy exclaimed.  
  
"Good points," Emma said, somewhat sarcastically. "The teachers won't think so   
though."  
  
"I don't care!" Betsy said. "What should I wear?"  
  
"How bout a robe?" Emma said.  
  
Betsy sighed. "All right."  
  
Hermione came out of the shower into the new dorm she was sharing with Emma and   
Betsy (the other three fifteen year olds were in another room, as Parvati and Lavender had made a   
big deal about having to share the room with two more people).  
  
"Hermione, do you always wear robes at Hogwarts?" Betsy asked.  
  
Hermione looked half surprised, half puzzled at this. "Don't you at Catback?"  
  
"We can wear whatever we want," Emma said.  
  
"I don't even own a robe," Betsy said. "Wait a sec," she rooted through her trunk and   
pulled out a pink terry bathrobe. "This is my robe."  
  
"You can borrow my robes," Hermione offered, got two robes from her trunk, and handed   
them to the girls.  
  
"Thanks Hermie," Emma said. "Can I call you that?"  
  
"Why not," Hermione said.  
  
"Then I need a nickname for you too," said Betsy, and she thought for a second. "What   
about Miney?"  
  
"Sure," Hermione smiled. "We should go down to the Common Room and meet up with   
Ron and Harry to go to breakfast now."  
  
"Okay," Betsy said. "But Miney, um, you wear clothes under your robes, right?"  
  
"Yes," Hermione said, a bit puzzled.  
  
"Oh," Betsy said. "I wish I had known that last night when Professor McGonagal gave us   
those robes." She put on jeans and a red tank top, and put the robe on over. "Let's go girls."   
They walked down the staircase to the Common Room, where they met Ron and Harry.  
"Girls," muttered Ron. "They take so long getting dressed."  
  
When they got to the Great Hall, they sat down at the Gryffindor table, where food had   
already appeared. Betsy served herself an egg, which was still as hot as it had just come off the   
frying pan, of course, a blueberry muffin, bacon, and a glass of milk. As Betsy was chewing her   
muffin, a red red-haired boy, maybe the red red-haired boy (she couldn't distinguish him from his   
twin), who she had been stealing glances at all through breakfast, caught her eye. Betsy almost   
choked on her muffin. She hated being caught by the guy she was checking out. The boy grinned.   
Betsy's heart flip-flopped and she involuntarily smiled.  
  
"Earth to Betsy," Emma waved her hand in front of Betsy's face. "I asked you a   
question."  
  
"Sorry," Betsy said. "Hermione, who's that guy, with the red hair, over there?"  
  
"Well, he's either Fred or George," Hermione said. "They're Ron's brothers. I can't tell   
them apart."  
  
Betsy sighed. "Well one of them is absolutely gorgeous."  
  
Emma snickered. "Betsy, they look exactly alike." Betsy stuck her tongue out at Emma.  
  
Mail came, and thousands of owls flew in. "Wow…" Betsy said. At Catback, you had to   
go to the Owlery to check if you had gotten mail. "Hey! I got mail!"  
  
"So did I," Emma said.  
  
"Me too," said Hermione, as they opened their letters. They were identical letters, which   
instructed them to go to Professor Dumbledore's office right after breakfast. "I've never gotten a   
letter like this before. I wonder what it's for."  
  
"Dude, what did we do?" Emma asked. "I didn't think we'd get in trouble this soon."  
  
The three girls proceeded to Professor Dumbledore's office. "Come in!" he said. "Sit   
down and make yourselves comfortable." Betsy shot a glance at Emma. From her experience (and   
she had had quite a bit), principals didn't act like this when you were in trouble.  
  
"I wanted to ask Hermione if she'd be your guide around Hogwarts for the next few days."  
  
"Of course," said Hermione.  
  
"Brilliant," Professor Dumbledore said. "Well, you'd best be --"  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," Betsy said.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do we have to wear robes?"  
  
"I'm afraid you do," Professor Dumbledore said. "However, you are only required to   
wear them during classes; after classes are over for the day, you may wear whatever you choose   
to."  
  
"All-right," Betsy sighed.  
  
"As your guide," Hermione said. "I must advise you that we should go now."  
  
"See ya around!" Emma said, to Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"Bye!" Betsy said.  
  
"It's almost time our first class," Hermione said. "What is it? Transfiguration? Okay,   
Professor McGonagal's classroom is just up this hallway."  
  
Hermione, Betsy, and Emma walked into the classroom. Most of the other Gryffindor fifth   
years were there already. They took seats near Ron and Harry.   
  
Professor McGonagal came into the room. "Today we'll be changing spoons into hair   
combs." The boys groaned. She handed out spoons to the class. Harry and Ron were partners,   
Hermione and a boy named Neville were partners, and Betsy and were partners. "You will have   
thirty minutes to practice, and then I will be going around to each group and evaluating your   
work."  
  
Betsy and Emma had done a similar exercise two years before at Catback. They both got   
it with only a couple tries. Emma looked at the clock. There were twenty-three minutes until   
Professor McGonagal would inspect their work. "That was really easy," she said to Betsy. "That   
was only review, right?"  
  
Betsy looked about the classroom. The other Gryffindors besides Hermione were still   
plugging away at it. Hermione's partner Neville turned the spoon into a rabbit, which hopped off   
the desk before Professor McGonagal could turn it back. Betsy gave Emma a doubtful look. "I   
wish I could say yes, but I don't think it was."  
  
"Chatting instead of working, girls?" Professor McGonagal asked, and then saw the   
combs. "Oh, well done! Would you like to show me now, and get it over with?"  
  
"Sure," Emma said. She turned the comb back into a spoon, and then from a spoon to a   
comb again, this time a silver comb with 'Emma' written on it in gold.  
  
"Ooooh, that one's pretty, Emma," Betsy said. She changed her comb to a spoon, then   
back to a comb, a wooden one with flowers carved into it.  
  
"I like yours better," Emma said. "Switch?"  
"Only if you change it to say Betsy," Betsy said.  
  
Emma did, and then looked up at Professor McGonagal, who had been quiet all this time.   
"Well done, girls," she said again, and walked off, to change Neville's spoon, which was now a   
rapidly growing sunflower, back into a spoon.  
  
Emma and Betsy talked for the rest of class, and at the end, they watched as the students   
got tested. Hermione turned hers into a silver comb, like Emma had, but without any decoration.   
Two other Gryffindor girls, Parvati and Lavender, turned them into identical purple plastic combs,   
and Neville turned his into a fork ("That's not too bad," Betsy said. "In 'The Little Mermaid",   
Ariel combs her hair with a fork."). Harry, Ron, and the rest of the class managed to turn their   
spoons into rough wooden combs.  
  
"Potions," Hermione said, after class. "Follow me, it's down these stairs in the basement.   
Professor Snape teaches Potions – basically, you can't get on his good side, so don't talk at all,   
raise your hand much or bring any attention to yourselves. Good luck, you'll need it, I imagine!"   
They went into the room and sat down. The class was made up of Gryffindors and another house,   
Betsy recognized the boy with blond hair, and his two friends from the train.  
  
Professor Snape entered, and the class immediately fell silent. "Another year," sighed   
Professor Snape. "Today you will be making a swelling potion. You will find it on page 47 of the   
potions book. Follow the directions...or else." Betsy and Emma were partners again, and their   
potion came out right. They were on their most perfectly good behavior all of the class, and Snape   
didn't pick on them.  
  
As they walked out the door, Betsy commented, "That wasn't too bad!"  
  
This surprised Hermione, but she said, "Lunch is next, you know where the Great Hall is."  
  
"Oh good," Emma said. "I need a break!"  
  
They sat down at the Gryffindor table and served themselves sandwiches.   
  
Betsy looked up and down the table to see if the guy was there. He wasn't. "So Miney,   
who do you like?" Betsy asked.  
  
"Um, promise you won't tell anyone?" Hermione asked. Emma and Betsy nodded their   
heads. "Ron," she whispered.  
  
Emma and Betsy tried not to look shocked. "He's like your best friend!" Emma   
exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah…I would never tell him, I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship, but he's so cute,   
and brave, and handsome!" Hermione stared dreamily off into space.  
  
Betsy giggled. "I think it runs in his family."  
  
"So does Ron have a girlfriend?" Emma asked.  
  
"No," Hermione replied, and grinned.  
  
"What about Harry?" Betsy asked.  
  
"No," Hermione said. "But he has a crush on Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw 6th year."  
  
"Oooooh! Older women!" Emma snickered.  
  
"And Ginny Weasley, you know, Ron's younger sister, has a huge crush on Harry,"   
Hermione added.  
  
"Oh, that's so cute!" Betsy said. "What about Fred and George?"  
  
"Single, but they're in their 7th year!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"So? Betsy said. "It's only two --"  
  
"Hey!" Ron said as he and Harry sat down at their table. "What are you guys talking   
about?"  
  
"Boys," Emma answered brazenly. Ron and Harry rolled their eyes.   
  
"Who do your brothers like?" Betsy asked Ron.  
  
"Fred used to like Katie Bell, and George used to like Alicia Spinnet, but they graduated   
from Hogwarts last year, and Fred and George were never really serious about it or anything."   
Betsy smiled.  
  
"That reminds me, now that they're gone, and so is Oliver, there's three positions open on   
the Quidditch team," Harry said.  
  
"You have Quidditch here?" Emma asked.  
  
"Of course!" Ron said.  
  
"Thank goodness! I was kind of getting scared that this school was..." Emma stopped   
when she saw the looks on Hermione, Ron, and Harry's faces. "Never mind."   
  
"So we have a Keeper and two Chaser positions open," Harry said.  
  
Emma looked thoughtful. "Do ya'll wanna practice together today?"  
  
"Sure!" Ron said.  
  
"Right then," Harry said. "After classes we'll meet in the Common Room."  
  
Lunch was over then, and Hermione said, "You've got History of Magic next, all we do is   
take notes. It's sooooo boring. The classroom's right there," and she pointed to it.  
  
Betsy and Emma walked in. "You're a ghost!" Emma shouted to the Professor.  
  
"Why yes, I am, thank you for noticing," he said. The rest of the class went as Hermione   
said it would, with Betsy, Emma, Hermione, Ron, and Harry taking (and passing) notes.  
  
"The next class is Herbology. It's outside in Greenhouse 1," Hermione said, and she led   
them outside. The whole class was spent during a tour of the green house, which was pretty boring,   
except when Emma got too close to a biting Humapwa tree and it almost got her!  
  
"Our next class is Defense Against the Dark Arts. You wouldn't know this, but we get a   
new teacher every year. I've heard that this year it's a bald guy named Dr. Evil."  
  
Emma gave Betsy a strange look. She'd heard of Elvis impersonators, but Dr. Evil   
impersonators? "Uh…Hermione, have you ever seen Austin Powers?"  
  
"No," Hermione replied. "My parents won't let me see PG-13 movies."  
  
"You're 15 years old!!!!!!" Betsy exclaimed. "Oh, don't worry, it's a pretty stupid   
movie."   
  
They reached the room and entered, to find a guy who looked exactly like Dr. Evil. "Shall   
we begin class?" he asked. "My name is Dr. Evil, from a long line of Evils. Unfortunately, after   
my 'laser'" he made air quotes. "Failed, I decided to retire from the Evil business. Any   
questions?"  
  
Emma put her hand up and Dr. Evil called on her. "Where's Mini-Me?" she asked.  
  
"Mini" Dr. Evil said. "Scott k-k-k-k" he broke into tears. "Scott killed him!" by now he   
was crying like a baby.  
  
"Do you need a hug?" Betsy asked. Dr. Evil nodded and Betsy and Emma both hugged   
him.  
  
"So where's Scott?" Emma asked after she'd gotten him a tissue box.  
  
"I-I-I pushed the button on his chair," Dr. Evil sobbed. "Now I have no children!"  
  
"Poor guy," Betsy comforted him. By now she knew she and Emma would both get A's   
this year. "Why don't you tell us your life story?"  
  
"Well…all right," Dr. Evil agreed, and began the story. "I was born to a French prostitute   
named Chloe who had webbed feet…"  
  
The class really loved his story, it was hilarious, and at the end of class, Emma suggested,   
"Why don't we make 'I HATE AUSTIN POWERS' posters tomorrow?" Dr. Evil thought this   
was a great idea, and agreed.  
  
"This guy is an absolute nut case!" Betsy said to Hermione and Emma. "He really thinks   
he's Dr. Evil!"  
  
"What class do we have next?" groaned Emma.  
  
"School's over!" Hermione replied.  
  
"SCORE!" Betsy and Emma shouted in unison.  
  
They walked to the Gryffindor Common Room where they met Ron and Harry. "Hi guys!   
Are we playing Quidditch now?" Emma asked.  
  
"Definitely," Ron said. "My brothers are going to play with us too. Emma, Betsy, this is   
Fred and George."  
  
Betsy was positive that George was the one that had helped her with her trunk. He and   
Fred looked the same, but there was something about him...maybe his eyes....  
  
"You play?" Emma asked.  
  
"Yeah," Fred said. "We're Beaters!"  
  
Betsy risked a glance at George.  
  
George noticed the girl looking at him through her heavy eyelashes.   
  
Their eyes met, and neither George nor Betsy could look away.  
  
"Well, we've gotta change and get our brooms and stuff, so let's meet down here in five   
minutes," Emma said. Betsy tore her eyes away from George's. Everyone nodded and went their   
separate ways.  
  
"We've got to change into gym shorts, cuz we don't have Quidditch robes. And I wouldn't   
wear them if I did have them," Emma said in the Common Room. "Is something wrong, Bets?   
You're awfully quiet."  
  
Betsy stopped trying to analyze what had just happened. "Everything is wonderful," she   
said. "Can I borrow your spare broom again, Em?"  
  
"Sure, but come on, I've got my shorts on."  
  
"Okay, okay!" Betsy said. "I'll hurry up!" She put on navy blue Adidas shorts and a gray   
sweatshirt that said Catback on it. They went down to the Common Room and found Ron, Harry,   
Hermione, George, and Fred waiting for them.  
  
***  
  
"Emma, I'm not sure I really wanna fly today," Betsy said. "I'm afraid I'll fall off again."  
  
"Betsy, you'll be fine," Emma said. "Just remember: NO FEAR! Now get on that broom   
and say 'go'."  
  
Betsy straddled the broom and yelled, "GO!" and the broom shot off like a bullet. She was   
about 200 meters away when she looked back and yelled, "How do you stop?" George leapt onto   
his broom and zoomed off after her. He caught up with Betsy in 30 seconds. Then, flying parallel   
to her, he grabbed her broom by the handle and jumped on.  
  
"Hold on," he said to Betsy, and urged the broom to go faster, turned it around, and flew   
down to the group watching them. Betsy put her arms around George's waist, and they hopped off   
as their feet touched ground. "Okay," George said. "That's how you stop. And you slow down   
by jerking the handle up a bit."  
  
Betsy looked up at George. "Thanks for saving my life, George," she said and smiled.   
"That was kind of fun!"  
  
"Betsy Bendroth! How can you say that!?!" Hermione scolded. "I was so scared!"  
  
Betsy gave a sheepish grin. "I was too," she admitted. "That's definitely enough   
Quidditch for me today!"  
  
"You and Hermione can go in," Emma suggested, "And we'll stay out here and practice."  
  
"Okay," Hermione and Betsy agreed, and left the Quidditch field.  
  
***  
  
Betsy was curled up in a red velvet armchair with gold trimming, very cozy in front of the   
Common Room's fire, wearing her pajamas, a blue spaghetti strap with cows jumping over moons   
and pink plaid flannel boxer pants, when everyone came in from the Quidditch field. She looked   
up from her Back-To-School issue of Seventeen, and saw George, his green eyes glowing forest   
green, push back his sweaty spikes of red hair from his forehead. She wasn't sitting properly in the   
chair, her legs were hanging over one arm rest and her head was on the other, and she must have   
leaned a bit too far back, because the next thing you know, the chair tipped, and she kind of did a   
back somersault out of it. It was pretty clear she had it head over heels for George.  
  
George looked at her in a heap on the floor and cracked up. He strolled over, and instead   
of just putting out a hand and helping her up, he picked her up off the red and gold carpet, one arm   
under her knees and one around her back and plopped her right back in the chair. Betsy cracked   
up, looked deep into his green eyes that had changed color to aqua, and said, "Thanks George,   
you'd make a great knight in shining armor. You're so kind to ladies!" George blushed. He was   
obviously tickled pink. 


	3. Chapter Three

The next morning, Betsy woke up in a wonderful mood. She whistled as she put her robes   
on and did her hair.  
  
"Happy this morning, aren't we?" Emma said dryly.  
  
"I dunno about you, Emma, but I sure am," Betsy said.  
  
"Well...be careful," Emma said, somewhat lamely. They went down to the Common   
Room, where Ron, Harry, and Ron's sister Ginny were waiting for them, and then walked down to   
the Great Hall.  
  
Bowls of pancakes and scrambled eggs appeared on the table and they helped themselves.   
"I hate scrambled eggs," grumbled Emma, and she charmed her eggs to taste like chocolate. Then,   
of course, she had to charm everyone else's eggs too, and she taught them the spell (Comidius   
Chocolat), so she wouldn't have to do it too often.   
  
Throughout breakfast, Betsy had been looking for George, and he arrived late with Fred   
and a black guy, who Betsy later found out was named Lee. When he got to the Gryffindor table,   
he looked around, spotted Betsy, and came over. "Can I sit here?" Betsy nodded, smiling.  
  
Right then, Mail arrived and twelve owls came swooping down on the table, leaving a huge   
box with holes in it in front of Hermione.  
  
"What is that?" Ginny asked.  
  
Hermione was already ripping the box open. "Crookies! You made it!" she kissed what   
appeared to be a tiger.  
  
"Oooohhh! It's adorable!" Betsy crooned. "What's its name?"  
  
"Crookshanks," Hermione replied. 'He had to go to the vet to get some shots the day I   
came, so he only got here today."  
  
Ron pet Crookshanks timidly. "I guess Crookshanks was a better judge of character than   
me," he said.  
  
"He's always been a lovely cat," Hermione said.  
  
"Err....Yeah, I guess so," Ron said. "Sorry Crookshanks." Hermione beamed.  
  
***  
  
Both Betsy and Emma had been looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts all day;   
they even brought their Craola markers and glitter pens to class with them. They went into the   
classroom with Ron, Hermione, and Harry, and from looking at the walls, they guessed that all of   
Dr. Evil's other classes had made posters too. "Hello class," Dr. Evil said. "There is some poster   
board on my desk, please help yourselves." During the class, Dr. Evil walked around the desks   
giving suggestions, "Maybe you could write my name in red? Ah yes, very good…That's coming   
along very well…Oh! I love it!"  
  
In the end, Betsy had a 'Dr. Evil is way cooler than Austin Powers' poster, while Emma   
had a 'Austin Powers is weird freak' poster. Hermione's poster was 'Austin Powers is an abysmal   
wally' Ron's was 'Austin Powers is an ugly git' and Harry's was 'Austin Powers is a prat.' Dr.   
Evil came by and looked at their work. "Beautiful!" he exclaimed. "You can go hang them on that   
wall." Betsy hung hers up, and saw 'by George Weasley' at the bottom of the poster next to hers.   
The poster said 'Austin Powers wears a nappy.' Betsy smiled.  
  
***  
  
After classes that day, everyone met up in the Common Room. "Would anyone   
like to play Quidditch again today?" Fred asked. "That was one heck of a game last night."  
  
"Sure," Emma, Harry, Ron, George, and Ginny all said.  
  
"Not me," Betsy said. "No way. I am not getting on a broom again in my life."  
  
"Come on, Betsy," Emma said.  
  
"No," Betsy said stubbornly. "Emma, you don't understand how scared I am. Everything   
about brooms terrifies me. I'll watch you guys though...I can...do my homework or something   
while I'm watching." The people who were going to play Quidditch went up the stairs to their   
dorms to get their brooms, while Betsy and Hermione stayed in the Common Room. "Are you   
coming to watch them play, Miney?"  
  
"Of course," Hermione gave Betsy a knowing smile. "I don't think we'll be getting much   
homework done, though."  
  
When everyone had come back from getting their brooms, they started down to the   
Quidditch field. Fred took the lead, with Emma beside him, Harry and Ron behind them, Ginny   
and Hermione behind Ron and Harry, and Betsy and George walking side by side behind everyone.   
Fred was talking to Emma like a tour guide about something, Harry and Ron were having an   
argument about Quidditch, Ginny and Hermione were whispering, probably about Harry and Ron,   
and Betsy and George were both silent. It was a rather awkward silence, so Betsy was quite   
surprised when George picked up her hand from where it was hanging by her side and took it in his   
own. George's hand was warm, while Betsy's was cool. Betsy looked at George and smiled at   
him. George blushed. When they got to the Quidditch field, George squeezed Betsy's hand and   
dropped it.  
  
***  
  
"Check!" Ginny said later that night. She and George were playing chess against Betsy.  
  
"Oh darn, where is it this time?" Betsy said.  
  
George grinned, "It's not really fair that we teamed up against her, Gin."  
  
"It's just that these --"  
  
Betsy was cut off by her knight screaming, "You idiot! You have to move the king!"  
  
Betsy rolled her eyes, "These talking chess peices are confusing me."  
  
Harry walked over. "Hey...Betsy," he said. "Do you know Cho Chang?" Betsy nodded.   
"Could you errr ask her ummm how she uhhh feels about me?"  
  
Betsy looked at Ginny. She was about to cry. "Can I answer you later, Harry?"  
  
"Sure. See ya." Harry walked over to the fireplace.  
  
Ginny burst out in tears. "Shhh...there, there," George comforted her. Ginny buried her   
face in George's shirt. George looked at Betsy for help.  
  
Betsy came over and sat next to Ginny. "You like Harry, don't you?" Ginny looked up a   
bit and nodded. "Don't worry about him liking Cho. It's just a crush. I doubt he'll like her in a   
year from now." Ginny was now looking at Betsy. "And guys -- they go for younger girls --   
believe me. Some day, Harry's going to notice you, Ginny. And he'll never take a second glance   
at Cho again." Ginny smiled and hugged Betsy.  
  
"Are we going to sit around and cry or are we going to play this game?" Ginny's queen   
yelled shrilly.  
  
***  
  
Hermione and Emma were asleep, but Betsy laid awake, thinking about George. She had   
never, ever, ever felt like this about any other guy. She'd never even begun to feel like this about   
another guy. Her thinking was inturrupted by a tapping sound. Betsy looked around, but couldn't   
see what was making the noise. She got up and saw George tapping on the window. George   
grinned when he saw her. Betsy opened the window and saw that he was on his broom.  
  
"Want to go for a ride?" he asked.  
  
"Not really..." Betsy said uncertainly.  
  
"Oh," George said. "Well, I guess I'll --"  
  
"It's not that, George, I just -- I can't -- I'm terrified of flying."  
  
George brightened up a bit. "You'll be fine," he assured her. "I'll be the one flying it."  
  
"I really don't know..." Betsy said doubtfully.  
  
"Please?" George asked.  
  
Betsy's heart melted. "Okay," she agreed, and immediately regretted it.   
  
"All right, now get on behind me, just put one leg over," Betsy did what George said, and   
got on the back of George's broom. She wrapped her arms around George's waist.  
  
"Hold on tight," George said.   
  
"I will, believe me," Betsy said. They started to move, and Betsy closed her eyes, and   
buried her face in George's shoulder.  
  
George laughed. "Betsy, we're not even going fast." They were flying very slowly, about   
five kilometers per hour. Betsy looked up hesitantly. They were flying pretty close to the castle.   
They flew higher, until they got above the castle, and in about half a minute, which seemed like an   
hour to Betsy, they reached the top of a tower, where they landed.  
  
Betsy breathed a sigh of relief, and sat down on the tower floor. "We made it." George   
laughed and sat down next to her.  
  
"Sometimes I come up here to be alone and look at the stars," George said.  
  
"They're beautiful," Betsy breathed.  
  
They were quiet for a few minutes, until Betsy shivered. "Are you cold?" George asked.  
  
"I wish I had taken a sweatshirt," Betsy admitted. George put his arm around Betsy's   
shoulders. Betsy snuggled closer to George and put her head on his chest.  
  
"Thanks for helping me with Ginny tonight. I really didn't know what to do," George said.  
  
"No problem," Betsy replied. "You're so nice to your sister. I wish I was nicer to mine.   
We fight a lot -- I can't believe how much I miss her!"  
  
"Ginny's my only sister," George explained, and looked at Betsy. "You have such   
beautiful eyes," he said. "They look dark blue from far away, but when you get close they're light   
blue with navy blue rings around them."  
  
"I think your eyes change colors to reflect your mood," Betsy said. "Right now they're   
aqua. But I'm not sure what that means."  
  
"It means I'm happy...because I'm with you." George was happy. For one of the few   
times in his life, he felt like an individual -- separate from Fred. George bent his head close to   
Betsy's. Betsy closed her eyes.  
  
"Meow."  
  
George straightened up. "That's Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat. Filch will be here any minute,   
we'd better go." George and Betsy quickly got on the broom, and hovered over the tower for a   
minute, while George transfigured the floor to some slimy green substance, and then flew quickly   
back to Betsy's window, while Betsy bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut. "Bye Betsy," George   
said.  
  
"Bye George," Betsy replied. "Thank you for tonight, it was wonderful...if you don't   
include the flying part." She quickly pecked George's freckled cheek and climbed through the open   
window. George's face turned a shade of crimson and he soared away into the starry night sky. 


	4. Chapter Four

"Betsy! Wake up! Your alarm clock has been going off for the last five minutes!" Emma yelled at Betsy.  
  
"What?" Betsy yawned, and sat up groggily.  
  
"Why are you so tired?" Emma asked. "It isn't like...Betsy!" Emma scolded. "You went somewhere with George last night!"  
  
"How did you know?" Betsy asked.  
  
"Betsy, I've been your best friend since fourth grade," Emma replied.  
  
Betsy smiled. "It was lovely, Emma. He took me on his broom to a tower and we looked at the stars."  
  
"And?" Hermione, who had been listening, asked.  
  
Betsy looked confused.  
  
"How far did you go?" Emma translated.  
  
"Ohhh," Betsy giggled. "He was going to kiss me, but a pesky cat came right then. But I kissed him good night on the cheek."  
  
"That's so sweet," Hermione said.  
  
Betsy started to sing as she got ready. "It's a lovely day today..."  
  
"Wow, she's happy," Hermione said to Emma.  
  
"Yeah," Emma replied, "It's kind of weird, cuz she's kissed other guys, but she's never acted like this."  
  
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Betsy said and stuck out her tongue at Emma and Hermione. "Let's go!" She skipped down the stairs leading to the Common Room. "Good morning everyone!"  
  
"Hullo," Ron said. "We were just waiting for you to go down to breakfast."  
  
Betsy met George's eyes. They were aqua. She smiled.  
  
* * *  
  
"So is Catback really different from Hogwarts?" George asked, as he twirled spaghetti around his fork, at lunch.  
  
"Yeah," Betsy replied. "At Catback, the classes are a lot harder, but there's less homework and more extracurricular stuff, like sports and clubs."  
  
"What other sports are there?" George asked.  
  
"Well, there's Crog, and Weddin, and I play Fergelly," Betsy said.  
  
"I think I read an article about that in a magazine," George said. "It's played in water, right?"  
  
"Yeah, it's like Quidditch, sort of, all the balls are the same, but no brooms, of course, and it's all underwater. We eat gillyweed before practice and games, so we can breathe. The goals are different, though." Betsy sighed. "Wow, I really miss it. Everything about it -- not just playing, but the feeling of water, the way it's cool and how you feel weightless..." her voice trailed off, as she thought about how much she missed everything that wasn't at Hogwarts -- Fergelly, Catback, her parents, her friends, the wizard mall, even her sister. Everything was so different at Hogwarts. Her eyes watered, and she brushed it away with the back of her hand and put on a smile.  
  
George hadn't missed it though. Poor dear, he thought, she must really love swimming. He put his hand on top of hers on the table. "D'you want some more dessert? The peach cobbler is cracking!"  
  
"No thanks," Betsy's eyes smiled at him. "I'm so full, I can't eat another bite!"  
  
"Wow, look at them," said Hermione, who was watching from a little ways down the table.  
  
"I've never seen George act this way about a girl," said Ron.  
  
"I've never seen Betsy act this way about a boy," Emma said. "And she's had plenty of opportunities before."  
  
It was the middle of History of Magic Class, and Betsy was doodling hearts containing the name George all over her notebook. Emma passed her a note. Betsy opened it. What were you talking about with George at lunch? You two seemed really occupied in each other.  
  
Betsy wrote back. Just stuff. I was telling him about stuff at Catback and he was telling me about Hogwarts. She passed it to Emma.  
  
Emma wrote on the paper and gave it back to Betsy. Betsy read it. Kewl. Don't you love how we don't get in trouble for chewing gum here? Betsy looked at Emma and chewed her gum really loudly. Emma cracked up. "Girls," warned Professor Binns. The girls smothered their giggles.  
  
Herbology was boring -- all the class was spent watering various plants. The students had to wear masks over their nose and mouth so they wouldn't breathe in pollen from a poisonous plant that was flowering. Emma and Betsy found it hard to talk with the masks on, and so they were glad when the class was over.  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts was a little more interesting. Dr. Evil showed them his hairless Persian cat, Mr. Bigglesworth He told them of how he and his cat were frozen in space for thirty years, and how his cat lost its hair in the unfreezing process.  
  
After class, George was waiting for Betsy by the door. "I've got a surprise for you," he said. "We're going to have to be sneaky. Filch and Mrs. Norris patrol the hallways and they're a real pain in the arse."  
  
"I have a idea about Mrs. Norris," Betsy said. She went back into the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom, and came out with Dr. Evil's cat in her arms. "Where's Mr. Filch's office?"  
  
Fred led them to the office, and as they walked towards it, Mrs. Norris came out and meowed at them. Betsy put Mr. Bigglesworth down and they walked away quickly. Betsy looked back over her shoulder and her plan seemed to be working -- Mrs. Norris was preoccupied with a Mr. Bigglesworth.  
  
After they were a safe distance down the hall, and were walking more slowly, George took Betsy's hand. "What made you think of that?"  
  
"Well, Mrs. Norris is a girl, and Dr. Evil's cat is a boy, and...well...you know," Betsy squeezed George's hand.  
  
"You're going to love the surprise." George said. They stopped at a statue. "This is the Prefect's Bathroom." Betsy's eyebrows went up a little at that -- a bathroom wasn't really her idea of romantic. "The password is pine fresh.." He put a hand over Betsy's eyes, and Betsy heard him opening the door.  
  
"Am I going to bump into anything?" Betsy asked.  
  
"Just go straight," George replied.  
  
They entered a warm room. "Can I look now?" George took away his hands, and Betsy opened her eyes. They were in a room made completely of white marble, lit by a beautiful silver chandelier. There were six windows going across the wall facing the lake, framed by white curtains, and there was a painting of a mermaid on one wall. And in the middle of the room, there was an empty pool, about ten meters long, with a diving board at one end, and jeweled faucets along the edges.  
  
"A pool!" screamed Betsy. She turned and threw her arms around George. "Thank you George!"  
  
"I knew you'd like it," George said.  
  
"I love it!" Betsy said.  
  
The door opened, and Hermione walked in. Betsy and George quickly ended the embrace. "OOPS!" she said, and her face turned pink. "I'll leave...I'm so sorry." She started backing out.  
  
"Hermione! It's fine!" Betsy grinned. "You can go swimming with us." She paused. "I'll have to go get a bathing suit, now that you're here." George turned bright red. "I was only kidding!" she protested, seeing George's and Hermione's faces.  
  
"Er, I do too," Hermione said.  
  
"We'll be back soon," Betsy told George. She was halfway through the door, when, on impulse, she ran back to George and kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she whispered. Then she left just as quickly. George stood there for a moment, speechless.  
  
When Betsy and Hermione came back, with Emma, Harry, Ron, Fred and Ginny, George had transfigured his boxers to a bathing suit and was looking out the window at the Slytherin Quidditch team practicing. He turned around as the door opened, and wasn't surprised to see everyone there. "The Slytherins are good this year," he said. "When we play them, Harry, you'd better catch the Snitch quickly." The boys got into a discussion on Quidditch.  
  
Ginny and Emma were turning on different taps, filling the pool up. Out of one, rainbow colored water poured. Out of another, different colored bubbles in the shapes of animals came out. One tap had pink colored bubbles that smelled like peaches coming out, and they filled the air with their delicious aroma.  
  
"Let's go swimming!" Ginny said.  
  
Betsy took off her clothes, revealing a blue bikini with white Hawaiian print. She looked over at the boys, and saw George, who was in orange board shorts, looking at her with bright green eyes. "Don't stare at me like that," Betsy blushed. "You're making me feel self-conscious. Do I look fat in this or something?"  
  
"You look absolutely perfect," George said, as the boys conversation broke up, and they got in the pool.  
  
Betsy rolled her eyes. "Sure. Look at you, you've got a six-pack." She stepped closer to him and traced the outlines of the muscles on his stomach.  
  
"Cut it out you two," Fred splashed them. "We're here to swim, remember?"  
  
George grinned, "Last one in's a rotten egg!" George and Betsy ran to the pool and jumped in.  
  
"Let's have chicken fights," Emma said.  
  
"What's that?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Two light people sit on the shoulders of strong people and they hold hands and try to knock the other off," Emma explained..  
  
"Okay," Fred said. "Me and Emma against George and Betsy."  
  
"Me and Hermione play winner," Ron said.  
  
"And Ginny and I play winner of that match," Harry said.  
  
George went under water and Betsy climbed onto his shoulders. She and Emma entwined their fingers. "Ready...set...go!" Emma shouted.  
  
"Okay George, back up. This way," Betsy nudged him in the side with her leg, the way she would a horse. "No, other way!" George turned sideways and pulled Emma off Fred's shoulders. "We win! Okay George, we can take on Hermione and Ron!"  
  
After a while, Emma looked at her watch. It said the time was 5:45. That couldn't be right. Emma shook the watch, but it was working. "Hey guys, there's fifteen minutes till dinner."  
  
"Oh no," Hermione said. "I wanted to go to the library to work on my History of Magic essay."  
  
"It's not due for another week, Hermione," Ron said.  
  
Hermione thought about that. "I'll be able to work on it tomorrow," she said.  
  
As they walked to the Gryffindor Common Room, Betsy couldn't help but notice how they were walking in the pairs they had made while chicken fighting.  
  
* * *  
  
After dinner, George, Fred, Harry, Ron, and Emma had gone out to play Quidditch again. When they came in, smiling cheeks rosy from cold, George looked around the Common Room. Ginny was talking with some other fourth year girls, and Hermione was, as usual, doing homework. He found Betsy in front of the fire, asleep on a sofa. Gently, so as not to wake her, he picked her up and carried her to her room. George figured Hermione's bed was the one that was perfectly made, Emma's was the unmade bed, and Betsy's bed was the one that was made, but sort of rumpled. He laid Betsy down on her bed, took her slippers off her feet, and pulled the blankets out from under her so they covered her. Then he stood for a moment, just looking at her. She looked so innocent and helpless. George bent over and kissed her forehead. He straightened up, and looked at her for another moment, then turned and left. 


End file.
